Jack and the Doctor
by earl grey all up in this
Summary: A Samurai Jack/11th Doctor crossover. Action, drama, intrigue.
1. One

**Through crimson stars and silent stars and tumbling nebulas like oceans set on fire. Through empires of glass and civilizations of pure thought. And a whole terrible wonderful universe of impossibilities. You see these eyes, they're old eyes. And one thing I can tell you, Jack: monsters are real **


	2. Two

There was no sound, save for the soft wind that would lightly ruffle the leaves. Jack walked in silence, making his way east with the afternoon breeze. The sun brought a comfortable warmth to the air; the clouds didn't obstruct it's light. The grass was a dark shade of green, and the blades waved some in the breeze. For maybe three hours Jack had been traversing across this bit of light forest, having just come from the harshness of the cities, this change in surroundings was extremely welcome. The cities he passed through were always dark, and always unfriendly. It was mysterious to him how a place itself could shun you, but he accepted it as an unfortunate side-effect of the evils that plagued the Earth. In his childhood, before Aku had come, the towns were so simple, so easy; the people were honest, not so desperate as to be forced into distrust and violence. These thoughts left Jack with a bitter feeling, he silenced his mind and observed the scenery instead. A single yellow butterfly floated on the wind, from one patch of bushes to another, small violet blossoms dotted the leaves- Jacks eyes followed the creature as it settled on each flower. His gaze shifted to a mountain in the distance, it's top covered by clouds. The mass was tinted purple and the only detail he could concern with his eyes was a jagged cliff of the right-hand side, it was so far away.  
>VWORP VWORP<p>

Jack had his sword drawn instantaneously, and turned in the direction of the sound. He rushed to the tree line and peered inside the forest, he heard the noise once more and noticed something in the corner of his eye. Between a few of the trees there was a large blue box, shifting in and out of his vision. It continued making the strange sound and finally materialized, no longer vanishing. The sound stopped; Jack lowered his sword but kept it out. He called to the box in a firm tone "Who is there?". Finally, the box opened and a man emerged, with ruffled hair and a bow-tie. He saw Jack and grinned "Hello there." Jack sheathed his sword. "Greetings, stranger may I ask-" "The Doctor." "...Excuse me?" "You called me stranger, but I'm not a stranger, I'm the Doctor, call me Doctor." "...I see then. Doctor, what manner of box is this?"

The Doctor laughed aloud and began to look around, then suddenly turned to face Jack. "Why have you got a sword?" Jack was confused "I carry it at all times, for protection among other things." The Doctor clapped his hands together "Ohhhhh, you're a samurai aren't you? Fantastic." Jack said nothing. The Doctor looked at his gi and katana, excited, then spoke "Wait that's strange. I'm here...way after your time...tardis said...hmm."

The Doctor approached him and whipped out a small device with a green light at the end; he pointed it at Jack and it made a whistling noise, then he brought it up to inspect. "...You're not from around here are you?..." Jack, puzzled, didn't respond. The Doctor pocketed the device and straightened his jacket "Well then," he said "I've told you my name. What should I call you?" ... "Jack." The Doctor smiled again "That's a wonderful name. So come now, Jack, and tell me, where are you from?" Jack was still confused, but answered "My village is very far from here." He pointed south "It will take weeks, perhaps months to trek there from where we are." The Doctor sat down on a large rock and motioned for Jack to sit beside him. "No, Jack. I meant to ask where you are from." He examined Jack with eyes that spoke oldness, and vastness "This isn't your proper time. How did someone like you find yourself transported..." He checked this device once more "...at least three thousand years into the future?" Jack suppressed a sigh.  
>He sensed no ill will from this Doctor, and so spoke to him freely. "Many years ago, in my own time, I lived with my family in the village of which I spoke. But the demon Aku came to us, and destroyed my home. It seemed no amount of warriors could defeat him, he was so powerful. I was just a child, then. I was sent away to safety by my mother and father, and traveled the lands in my youth, learning the arts of whomever I lived with. After a time I found my parents once more, enslaved by Aku, who's evil had already begun to take root. I vowed to destroy the demon, and so sought him out- and engaged him. He was a great foe, yet I was able to bring him down. But before I could deliver the final strike, he used his magic to throw me into the distant future, here. Since my battle with him so long ago, he has taken control over the world, and many others I have discovered- because I did not defeat him before he could." Jack lowered his eyes "It is now my quest to return to the past, and undo this twisted future in which Aku has already won. I must defeat him before he has a chance to harm any innocent."<p>

The Doctor looked at him. Jack continued to stare at the ground. "That is a most noble cause, Jack." He patted him on the back. "And you know what? You're in luck." Jack looked back at him "What are you meaning?" The Doctor got up "You see that box there, the one I came out of? Yeah that's a Tardis. It's my time machine." Jack too stood up, the surprise was obvious in his face "You...you are sure?" "Yeah, come right on in I'll take you to your demon." The Doctor walked to the box and snapped his fingers, the two doors opened and he went inside. Jack followed. The box was larger on the inside. "...How is this possible?" The Doctor giggled "I love the reactions!" He waltzed over to the center, where a contraption with levers and buttons stood, he began messing with the switches and knobs.

VWORP VWORP

The sound began again and something above the console pumped up and down. Jack walked around the room "What did you call this machine?" "She's a Tardis. Time and relative dimensions in space...she'll take you anywhere, and any-when you choose."  
>"How is it that your Tardis is larger within?" "Ah that's Time Lord technology for you, Jack. Love it." "What is Time Lord?" Jack asked. "They're people. Time Lords. I'm a Time Lord." "So you are not human?" The Doctor shook his head no "You look human though." "No, you look Time Lord. We were first." Jack smiled "You are a very strange man."<p>

The Doctor only laughed. He pressed one more button and the room shook slightly. "All right then, Jack. This should be it, go open that door and save everyone." Jack walked over to the door and pulled it open, not sure what to expect. They seemed to be atop one of the many hills that surrounded his village, which was visible in the valley below. Jack gasped and turned back to the Doctor "My village, it is here-...everyone still lives..." Jack could say no more in his astonishment. The Doctor walked over to him and patted him on the back again, Jack folded his hands and bowed his head "Words cannot begin to describe my gratitude, please, tell me how I could repay you for your kindness." "Oh, it's quite alright. No thanks is necessary." Jack looked up again "Please, at least allow me to introduce you to my family, and treat you to tea." The Doctor considered..."Well okay. But them I'm off." Jack bowed again and held open the door. They walked together down the hill towards Jacks' home. The Doctor broke the silence "Did you always plan to meet your family before you met Aku? Not saying anything, but shouldn't you go fight the monster, save the world and then meet your family?" Jack nodded "...There is little chance of my success, facing Aku. It's very likely that my battle with him will be my last, I wish to see my loved ones once more, before I go to my end. I will not be long." They went the rest of the way without speaking.

They reached the rows of cherry-trees that lined the pathway to the village, the Doctor watched Jack breathe in the sweet air. It was spring, and the trees were all in bloom. It was all very beautiful. They followed the path underneath several arches, and over wooden bridges; they made it to the front gate before long, it was wide open and they passed through without question. Jack lead the Doctor down the main street, lined with people and carts- children ran around with kites and animals, mothers yelled after them. The house at the end was where they were headed, it was large and ornate, and seemed very old. They ascended the stairs up to the house and paused. Jack took a moment, then knocked on the large wooden door.


	3. Three

There was a yellow glow from the paper-covered windows, casting soft shapes of light over the large room. There was a knee-high table centered on a mat in the middle of the room; four people knelt at it, their heads turned when Jack opened the door. The faces lit up immediately. A woman with her black hair folded up on top of her head stood and went to him. Jack hugged her tightly, withholding his thoughts to simply soak in the feeling. She came up and kissed him on the forehead. "Jack," she said, her voice warm and calm "Welcome home.". There was an older man, a younger one, and another woman at the table, now standing. They each embraced Jack in turn. The younger man spoke. "Son, we're very glad to see you once more. It's been nearly a week since you left. …Were you successful?" He reached an arm over his wife's shoulder. The elderly man noticed the Doctor, leaning on the inside of the doorframe; he waved him in with his hand. The Doctor stepped in the room and Jack put a hand behind his shoulder "This is the man who has made me seeing you a possibility, to him I owe everything." Apparently the TARDIS landed five days after the past Jack had left to battle Aku. The village had only been partly destroyed in Aku's initial attack, which had taken place now only ten years ago. It had been almost a year since Jack emancipated his parents and the rest of the village. They've since repaired it to it's former glory and have been living unnoticed by Aku. Jack's aunt made tea as they all knelt at the table and he explained to them everything. The Doctor listened and learned about his travels through Earth, smirking to himself at the thought of how Donna would have reacted to this Scottish bounty hunter he described. Having arrived in the late afternoon, it was dusk when Jack had completed his narrative. Everyone remained silent for a very long time. The grandfather was the first to speak aloud. "That's incredible. I would not have believed you had you not aged to look just a bit more like your father while you were away." The younger man looked at him and chuckled softly.

The rest of the evening passed quietly. The Doctor was unable to refuse the family's invitations to stay at least for the night. He was shown into a smallish room with a bed on the floor and paper windows on the walls. Around him he heard nothing. The village was dark, and it was silent. The moon marked it place in the sky as a soft yellow dot he could see through the screen; the sound of crickets lulled him into sleep. It was the most restful night he had spent in a long time.

Jack rose before the sun. Outside, in the garden, he stood motionless; gazing out on the village, still sleeping. Watching its stillness reminded him of a painting, beautiful, detailed, but ultimately two dimensional. Every movement that ever occurred here was just a part of a phenakistoscope. The thought left the moment with an unwelcome bitterness, he let it go and resumed mindless observance. He heard the door behind him slide open quietly, he didn't turn around. His mothers voice asked "When are you leaving?". Jack said nothing, only lowered him eyes. Mother came around beside him, "Each of us are proud of you." Jack turned to her and took her hands in his. He breathed. "I do not know if I am strong enough to face him, I was not the first time. I failed, you, father, everyone was enslaved because of my weakness." She sat down on a stone bench beside him, inviting him beside her. Looking in his eyes she said "My son, you have already come so far." She put a hand on his face "You have overcome so much, more than anyone in the world should have to. You have saved us all already. Your bravery has spawned revolutions inside cities and people, look at you; you have traveled the Earth and the stars and time itself. You have done more than anyone could have asked of a hundred people. We are so very proud of you." He wrapped his arm around her tightly and they hung there for a moment, "Thank you." he said. They spent the remainder of the sunrise together in silence.

The Doctor awoke to the sound of birds calling to one another. The sun had already risen, it was midmorning. 


End file.
